Otaku Tyrant
by Johnny Spectre
Summary: In the Country of Minstrel, a guild stands against the threat of darkness as their fates intertwine and defy all reason. Come join Otaku Tyrant, the Guild of Outcasts! Characters from this story will appear in the Neo Ferris Legacy doujin, so enjoy!
1. The 3-Tailed Scorpion

**Hello, hello hello! my minion readers! For those of you that watch me as an author and not just as a singular storywriter, now I know you're all expecting me to post the next chapter of Legends of the Whirlpool, buuuut this right now has taken priority. Besides, its not like the fandom is going to drop out. This is the INTERNET! Everything is Eternal!**

**Anyway, this is a story that will NOT involve the Fairy Tail Cast until muuuuuuuch later. Several characters depicted here will appear in the Fairy Tail doujin Neo Ferris Legacy by Maryenne042 on DeviantArt, and this will give their story.**

**Enjoy!**

**Otaku Tyrant**

**Chapter 1: The 3-tailed Scorpion**

Earthland, a world where magic flourishes with every breath. Where fantastical things can happen that are impossible to comprehend. We have all seen Fiore's story, but there are many other countries in Earthland, and each has a tale to be told.

For now, we will enter the country of Minstrel, and the legend of its dark history will be shown, with the light of its most unruly band of heroes.

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><p><span><em>Year 790<em>

This tale begins in the Province of Oakenshire, at the northern border of Minstrel. A slim 16-year-old girl with her dirty blonde hair in a braided ponytail sighed on a bench in the park. She wore a black jacket lined with red down the sleeves, a dark red top underneath that, and a pair of tight blue jeans. She had heard rumors of the dark guild Girtablilu operating in the area, but nothing had shown up in her search. She sighed once more.

"Come on, Katerine. you can do this! It's just one measly band of assholes... you can do this..." she reassured herself.

But even in her mantra, she was at a loss. She'd been in town for a whole week and nothing had shown up, even with her asking around the haunts and joints. The only thing that came up was a man in a strange coat with a tattoo on his neck depicting three stingers wreathed by claws, the dark guild's emblem. Naturally, she started looking for anyone that was out of the ordinary, but with Oakenshire being a harbor town, that was a broad subject range.

Such is the life of Kat Dream, independent mage.

She groaned as she laid across the bench, arms across her face to cover her embarrassment from the public eye.

When she looked ahead, she saw a boy her age with black hair wearing a long black coat with a strange metal backing and a black scarf.

_'Waitaminute...' _Kat's blue eyes flashed. If the guy was trying to hide in plain sight, a scarf would hide his mark. She had the guy! Jumping off the bench as subtly as possible to not cause any attention, she hid behind a tree to get a better look at him. He was reading over a pamphlet with an image she couldn't make out. He folded up the paper and slipped it into his coat as he walked away.

"Oh shoot!" _'I can't lose him now!' _Kat panicked slightly as she followed him.

* * *

><p>Throughout the day, Kat tailed her target, watching his every move and interaction. Surprisingly, anyone he came in contact with was polite, no fear or worry in their eyes. That was concerning as there should have been... unless...<p>

_'Maybe his magic makes people at ease!' _she thought. Trying to remember more about the information she read about, the guy was known for a form of Memory Control magic. She remembered stories of a mage that slipped into a guild without anyone realizing it. Oh boy... this got difficult.

When the guy left after paying his meal at a diner. She went over to the cashier.

"Excuse me, ma'am, but have you seen that guy that was just here before today?" She asked with a determined expression.

"No, actually. First-timer. Big bill, though." the cashier pulled out the receipt to show Kat. Looking at it, Kat's eyes bugged out. The guy had a literal boatload of fish for his meal! If she was a crude person, she'd even say he cleaned out the diner's stock. Thanking the cashier, she left and tried to find him again, seeing a coattail in the distance. She quickly followed after it.

_'No way am I losing a dark guild member! Not again!' _she echoed in her head.

* * *

><p>Kat followed the trail to the docks. She felt something off around the area. The warehouses were... too quiet. Even in late afternoon, there should still be SOME life around, but... nothing.<p>

_'There's gotta be SOMEONE around here...' _she thought, looking around. She figured she'd get a better view from the roof. Looking from there, she saw flashes coming from the warehouse skylight two buildings down. Going over to that warehouse and looking through the window, she saw two mages fighting out against each other, but both had Girtablilu's mark, so they must be fighting over some personal dispute. Then she saw the containers inside:

Captured women, that explained the missing persons' report she saw. These guys were going to sell them off.

"Not on my watch," she said to herself, as she opened the skylight with a magic charge.

_sssssh-KOOM_

* * *

><p>The members inside had placed bets on the two fighting, and it was pretty close, but their focus turned upward to the ceiling at the sound of breaking glass, any more reaction was halted by several lavender daggers flying down and stabbing them through their ribs and shoulders.<p>

"What the- Gaah!"

"Isome, wha- AHH!"

"Who the hell- Ghh!"

That and may more fell to the daggers, but they soon disappeared after they punctured the skin, leaving the wounds open and flowing.

"Dark mages," a voiced called from above, "Your time has run out."

Looking up, they saw a girl with blond hair descending down on... wings? Yep. Translucent violet wings in the most basic of distinction unfurled, carrying her down to the floor.

"What kind of magic is that?" one thug asked.

"Some kind of Take Over magic?" another guessed.

"Nah, not flashy enough..." yet another commented.

"Bah, dumbasses! What does it matter?" said a man in the shadows. "It's just a bitch stupid enough to waltz in here."

Kat glared at the shadows as he appeared. He was a tall, slender, almost gaunt man, with oily black hair with the bangs coiffed to resemble a scorpion's stinger.

"I'm surprised someone was stupid enough to come after us. What Guild are you from, girl?"

"None." Kat stated. "I'm just doing a public service cleaning up trash like you."

The members that weren't injured laughed at her proclamation.

"You really are stupid, brat." a large bodied man walked into the light. He had a shaved head and a wide nose.

"Alright! Murkac's gonna fight!"

"Take her down, Murkac!"

"No mercy for a bitch!"

Kat glared at her spectators, subconsciously forming more lavender daggers, precariously aimed at them.

"Oi, brat!" Murkac slammed his fist into the daggers, dispersing them. "Your fight's with me!"

The blonde had leaped from the piledriver as her daggers dissipated, forming a translucent halberd in her hands. On the sidelines, the peanut gallery muttered again

"Another weapon?"

"What kind of Requip has phantom weapons?"

"Maybe it's a new one..."

Kat ignored their prattling as she focused on Murkac, her weapon trained on him as his eyes glowered at the weapon, then a smirk came across his features.

"Heh, I think I've got you figured out, brat."

"Like hell you do, Dark Guild bastard!" Kat growled through her teeth. She charged forward at Murkac, who had lowered his guard. "Just die!"

"Take Over! Scarab Chitin!"

Kat's halberd was stopped by a new armor on the man. It was a bright blue with gold lining the plates, but on closer inspection, it all looked layered naturally as of it was...

"An insect carapace?" Kat said under her breath in curious surprise.

Murkac only grinned, as did several other watchers. "My Take Over magic specializes in insect armaments. Basically..." he grasped the Halberd, "I use Nature's armor requip!" and flung it and her across the room, careening into the wall, Kat's weapon dispersing. "And your Mana Morph is no use against me."

The revelation caused Kat to stiffen and the thugs to murmur.

"Mana Morph?"

"Never heard of it."

"Is it any good?"

"So far... not so much."

"My ancestor faced that Lost Magic, but it disappeared before his descendants could defeat its successors." Murkac chuckled. "To be honest, that magic is the ancient form of requip. Never thought I'd get the pleasure of taking one down myself." He cracked his knuckles inside his shelled gauntlets.

Kat glared indignantly at the Beetle Armor mage.

No one could tell her eyes were glowing purple. The only thing that they did notice was those near her suddenly froze in place and started gasping out for air. Murkac squinted in focus and felt something that shouldn't be possible.

"The hell- get away from her, you idiots!" he shouted in panic, "she's absorbing your magic!"

The others looked in surprise and tried to pull the closer ones away, only to be caught in her field.

Kat merely chuckled at their attempt, Dark Guilds always left a bad taste in her mouth, especially their magic. She stood up, a blank glace upon her visage fixated on her opponent. An ethereal bull formed from her leaking violet aura and charged at the Beetle Armor mage, trampling over those weakened by their loss of magic, the Mana Morph mage charging close behind, a pair of katars forming over her hands.

Murkac, still in shock from what happened to his comrades, felt the full force of the aura bull's horns cratering his armor, drawing some blood in the process. In an instant, the bull disappeared as the blonde pulled her arm back in the attempt to jab his face. Murkac could only think of one plan of action.

"T-Take Over -!"

In a flash of light, Kat found herself hanging near limp off the ground, courtesy of...

"Heracles Spear!"

Murkac was now donning a bluish-black armor with a helmet bearing a long double bladed ax as the horn.

Said horn was now barely a centimeter away from puncturing her lungs. Kat bit her lip to stop herself from crying out in pain.

Murkac was doing no better, his breathing was labored from such a quick change, but he was more irritated than anything.

"Girl..." he growled through shuddering pants, "You... have really started... to piss me off."

And with that, he flung his head to the side, her shirt tearing in the process, sending her flying to the ground at the feet of their boss.

The boss merely chuckled as he looked down at the intruder, but his eyes fell to her shirt where on her chest - or rather, just below her breasts, obscured by her wound - was a mark of an inverted tree.

Not a guild mark or a birthmark, but some kind of cross between a brand and a knife scar. His eyes widened as did his smile.

"Well, well, boys. It looks like our little girl here is an escapee from one of Tarot Masque's Majora Generals."

All those present and conscious froze when he said that. Kat flinched as the words stung her. She tried to force herself to move, but to no avail, the mere mention of Tarot Masque locked any movement she could have made.

"Such a surprise to see one of you out and about, especially one of _his_." the man's smile didn't leave his face as he spoke. "Now it just wouldn't be _fair_ to leave this as is all by your lonesome."

"Wait, boss." Murkac stated. "Are you actually planning on bringing one of _them_ here?"

"Why not?" he said with a snide tone, "It's not like anyone can stop them, and allying ourselves with them is one _gracious_ benefit."

Kat wanted to scream, she wanted to yell, she wanted to run, she wanted to get away from this psychopath. In the frail part of her mind, she even considered begging the madman to not send her back to _him_.

"You'll never get the chance." A voice echoed throughout the warehouse. The conscious guild members looked around the room for the source of the voice, and could only hear the footfalls of thick boots against the stone floor. When Kat heard the footsteps stop, she looked to see that guy she had been following all afternoon! Now that she could see his face, she couldn't think of how she confused him between her captor.

He was her age, had black hair, but it was a softer tone, with one long bang covering the right side of his face, and the left bangs sticking out to the side. He had fair skin, but it looked thick and weathered, but not overbearing in the sense. His visible eye was a blazing yellow that shone with the glare he sent to the boss.

The gaunt man laughed lightly at the newest intruder. "So a new boy comes to play~. So what are you here for? The girl? Or a sample of the ladies?" he said, gesturing to the women in cages. Kat just noticed, there were no cries of fear or panic with any one of them... strange...

"I only came for the same reason she did: I'm here to clean the streets of you." the boy said.

The boss seethed through his teeth as a heavy glare set on his features.

"Do you have ANY idea how dead you are, brat?" he growled in his throat. "Do you have ANY inkling as to who we are? Do you have ANY idea WHO I AM!?"

"Valejovi Serketz, moniker: Poisoned Silver. Brother to Girtablilu's Guildmaster Leiurus Serketz, moniker: Deathstalker. Wanted on twenty counts of slave trading, eight counts of murder, and two counts of arson. Bounty stands at 70,000 Jewels." the boy held his glare at Valejovi, who was shocked at the information given.

"Why you damn- Bodot! Get rid of him!" Valejovi ordered a man twice Murkac's size.

"Yes boss." the giant man said he brought down his fist on the boy.

Kat closed her eyes to spare herself the gruesome sight. Only, there was no sound of crushing bone or torn flesh. Opening one eye, she saw the boy holding back Bodot with one hand, the giant straining to push his arm further.

"Is that it?"

Bodot's face was a mix of rage and shock, leaning more into surprise, as the boy casually tossed his arm to the side, making the giant man fall. The crowd around was in awe.

"N-no way..."

"A kid shook off Bodot's Golem Driver?"

"The hell kind of magic does he have?"

Bodot leveled a glare at the boy, who casually glanced at him. The giant got to his feet and slammed both hands into the boy, only for him to push them apart and jump in a backflip, and pulled off an aerial donkey kick to Bodot's face, making him fly through the warehouse wall with a sickening *CRUNCH* echoing through their ears.

As the boy landed, a hooked silver chain flew past him, scratching his face and ensnaring his arms in the process. He glared at Valejovi once more, this time to see the target grinning like a loon.

The Girtablilu member laughed at his captive. "You...you dear boy, are undeniably STUPID! HAHAHA! Did you honestly think you'd be ably to take me in easy? You're under MY power now!"

The boy twisted against the chains, but still kept his glare on Valejovi. Then suddenly, he smiled.

"So that's how you did it." he muttered.

"Huh?"

"The hook is laced with a poison imbued with your magic, making anyone at least scratched be susceptible to memory subjugation."

Valejovi's smile then turned to shock at the analysis, but it returned soon. "Big deal, kid. You figured out my magic, it ain't gonna save you."

"Actually," the boy grinned wide as he pulled against the chain, his purple blood dripping from his cheek in his exertion.

Wait... _purple_ blood?

That momentary lapse of focus was enough for the chain to be broken and for the boy to leap back, a spiked metal tail giving him traction.

Wait... _metal tail_?!

"I don't need to be saved." the boy grinned wider, showing a fang. The metal tail was joined by two others as the chains broke apart as he roared.

Yes. _**ROARED**_.

It was loud, it was deep, it was screechy, it was guttural. It echoed throughout the warehouse and miles around. Like a great beast rose from the sea to claim the land as its own. The power behind it wasn't just sound, Kat could feel magic within the waves, reverberating into her very bones, her very soul. Every cell of her body tingled at this power.

"No way..." she heard Valejovi whisper in fear as he tried to back away. "That's impossible... there's no way they exist."

Kat looked around from her position and saw all the Girtablilu members and the women in the cages writhing in pain, not from the sound, but as though their bodies were being destroyed from the inside. She looked and saw Murkac had fallen on the ground, mouth agape as the boy kept roaring. She saw his mount moving and could make out only one word...

"_K-Kaiju_..."

Something clicked in Kat's memory of that word... but she couldn't really recall it.

As the roar calmed down, those in the cages became vaguely aware of their predicament.

"What's going on?"

"Where are we?"

"Mommy! Daddy! Where are you?"

"Get us out of here!"

"Help us!"

Hearing their pleas, the boy used the metal tails' spikes to sever the locks on the cages, releasing those imprisoned. As they all quickly ran out of the warehouse, the boy came up to the fallen form of Valejovi, who was still scared out of his wits at the boy before him.

"There's absolutely no way... how could someone like you be -"

"I was lucky." the boy cut him off. "You on the other hand, not so much." he clenched his fist and pulled back, an electric aura surrounding his fist.

"P-pl-please! Spare me!" Valejovi pleaded. "I-I-I-I-I-I promise it won't happen again! I swear!"

"Not taking a chance with you, Dark Guildsman." the boy said as he brought his fist down -

"KAIJUSLAYER, WAIT!" a voice echoed behind him. At that moment, the boy's arm went off his mark and slammed next to the fallen poisoner's head, causing a heavy crater from beneath. The shoack causing Valejovi to lose consiousness.

Kat saw the boy turn his head to Murkac, out of his beetle armor holding his stomach and panting heavily.

"You better give me a good reason for stopping me." the boy said coldly. "You know what I am, which means you're with _them_, or you're -"

"I'm not either, slayer. I just take notice." Murkac stated sharply. "He'll be put on trial. I'll make sure you get the reward."

The boy just kept his glare on Murkac, "tch, fine." His 'tails' fell flat against his back, forming the coat that Kat had seen earlier. He walked over to her and swiftly picked her up and carried her like a sack of potatoes.

"Wha- hey!" Kat yelled out.

"I'll also be taking her out of here." the boy stated, ignoring Kat's yelps of indignation.

"Now hold on, I just can't let you take-!" Murkac was cut off as the boy, pulled down his scarf to show something on his neck. "...I should have known you were one of them... alright, kid, get her out of here before the Rune Knights show."

The boy nodded as he took off. A minute later, a whistle blew, and he was running the other direction.

Murkac chuckled. _'Never thought I'd see a kaijuslayer around, but then again, since he's part of that guild, it makes sense for him to be unique.' _

* * *

><p>It took a while, but the kaijuslayer boy gave the knights the slip in the southern forest outside town. As he stopped, he motioned to set Kat down.<p>

"There, we should be able to tr-OW!" he exclaimed as Kat kicked him in the jaw. "What the hell was that for?!"

"That's what I should be asking you, asshole!" Kat screeched at him. "What's the big idea carrying me out like that?! Didn't your mom ever teach you how to treat a girl?!"

The boy visibly flinched at the question and grabbed Kat's jacket and looked her straight in the eye.

"Ground rule 1: when we're working together, talk of family is off-limits, got it?"

Kat stiffened at the forced contact, but warily complied. "Fine... but that doesn't explain why the hell you grabbed me!"

The boy sent a deadpan look at her. "It's obvious, isn't it? A Guildless mage confronting a dark guild? Around here, that's nothing more than one big target on your back, especially with your Lost Magic."

Kat glared at him. "What's wrong with using Lost Magic?"

The boy kept his impassive look at her. "In Minstrel, it's a bit of a problem. The Minstrel Magic Council is vehemently adamant of 'traditional magic' being around." he folded his arms and continued. "Any 'Lost Magic' or 'New Magic' has been automatically considered 'dark magic', especially by that old bastard Esteban." he turned his head with a 'tsk'. "Most of the legal guilds in the country follow those rules. A select few -" he pulled down his scarf, showing his neck. "- defy that order and are open to any mage. The most prominent being my guild: Otaku Tyrant."

The guild mark was a bold contrast to his fair skin tone, it stood out in a dark royal blue that seemed to shimmer in the moonlight. The mark itself was a clenched fist seen from the palm side. With a blank rectangle above the middle knuckle, it gave the allusion of a face in profile. Above the thumb was a three-pointed crown. From a distance, it would look like a tattoo of a face.

Kat blinked owlishly at this, surprised with how different it was than in Fiore. All this new information was making her feel dizzy... oh wait.

_Hurk_

Kat hunched over, holding her stomach. Her heaving did not go unnoticed by the boy.

"O-oi! You alright?" he asked.

"Y-yeah... I'll be fine, I just need to -urk!" she closed her mouth as her cheeks puffed out. She couldn't hold it back muck longer. The boy rummaged through his pockets and pulled out a small bottle

"Ok, just take it easy, I've got some pills that will make it ea-"

"_Bleeeeeeaaaaugh_," Kat vomited onto the ground, but it wasn't common food bits. What she spewed was a glowing blue substance that pooled near her feet. This continued for a couple minutes until the Mana Morpher rolled to her side, away from the kaijuslayer. Said kaijuslayer crouched over her bile, rubbing some between his fingers. He came to a realization at the scent.

"Wait a minute... this is-!"

"Liquid Lacrima... I know. Ughhhhh." Kat groaned at the curse of her magic. This was the one trait she could do without: Any excess magic she absorbed was rejected from the body by regurgitation. It was embarrassing enough on her own, but in front of a guy that - she had to reluctantly admit - saved her, that was embarrassment on a whole new tier. "By the way. My name's Kat Dream."

The boy looked at her before placing the bottle of pills in front of her face.

"I'm Ardriel of Otaku Tyrant."

Despite herself, Kat smiled. She felt more at peace that she had for a long time. And had taken the first steps on a bold new adventure.

* * *

><p><strong>Phew! that took a bit of time. but I'm satisfied with the result.<strong>

**So yeah, a lot of new ideas coming through, eh? phantom weapons, Kaijuslayers, political agendas and silent rebellion. and that's just the first chapter!**

**alright! Mini-trivia!**

**Girtablilu- a race of arachne (better known as spider-woman), with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a scorpion. mostly seen in the desert, they are referred to as deadly assassins in their trade.  
><strong>

**Considering some of the future subject matter, I would like to dedicate this fic to those that have suffered at the hands of oppressors, be they bullies, authority, or something similar. Know that you are not alone, and there are those that will stand alongside you.**

**STAY TUNED!**


	2. The Guild of Outcasts

**Hello Hello Hello everyone! Johnny Spectre here!**

**and BY GOD THIS CHAPTER TOOK TOO LONG TO WRITE, AND THE SAD PART IS THAT IT'S SHORT!**

**though I really can only blame myself... and government, and life, and a whole bunch of things, but I'll just say that preoccupation after post-occupation AIN'T the best feeling, ya know? SO! Please enjoy and review!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: The Guild of Society's Outcasts<strong>

Kat and Ardriel took less than a week cross the countryside by train. Kat always enjoyed the calm hills, the lush forests, and the thriving fields. She always felt happy at seeing peaceful scenery, and having someone to share it with made it all the more relaxing.

Although, with her new friend fast asleep next to her, it was kind of a downer that she couldn't share her budding excitement.

As soon as the train started moving, Ardriel nodded off without so much as a warning, but Kat didn't mind. She had really only been in Minstrel for less than two months, and she was still getting used to some things that differed from back in Fiore.

She pulled out a scrap of fabric from her jacket and looked at it. A caring smile glanced at the dirtied emblem of the guild that had rescued her from _him_. While she never joined the guild, she took along many of the memories she had made with them.

"I wonder how they're all doing." she thought aloud to herself.

_[Now approaching Wyrmwood Station. Now approaching Wyrmwood Station.]_ she heard from the magic speaker in the car.

_'Wyrmwood?' _Kat recalled from her earlier conversation with Ardriel. _'That's the town he said to wake him up at.' _

She shook his shoulders, causing his head to sway in motion. Shaking him harder only made his head hit the back of the seat, the bouncy cushion forcing his head down.

"Ughhhh!" she groaned in exasperation. "Come on, you stoic jerk! Wake up!" she formed a blunt mana weapon just as the train was stopping. Ardriel's eyes opened weakly as the car stopped moving. Looking up, he saw Kat already swinging.

He never stood a chance.

"GET UP!" _THWACK_

"YEEEEEEEEEAAOWWWWW!"

* * *

><p>Ardriel grimaced as he walked the main street of Wyrmwood, a large welt pulsing beneath his upturned hood. Kat walked in stride behind him, apologizing profusely.<p>

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" she repeated in her panic.

"Would you give it a rest already?" the kaijuslayer groaned. "I already forgave you, don't waste it more."

"Sorry..."

Ardriel pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance and continued walking.

Wyrmwood; a place quite unlike it's unfortunate name, the streets swarmed with people ducking in and out of plazas, the sweet aromas filling the streets with calmness and tranquility. It was one of the many towns that managed to muse bustling popularity with a delicate and heartwarming relaxation; a place one could never get bored with. Pristine waters, budding flora and fauna all combined with a peaceful magic that seemed to ebb and flow with an abundant energy. Over all, Wyrmwood was known as a very pleasant place.

The duo passed several shops on their way through town. The smells from the restaurants and the displayed items in windows were drawing Kat along in wonder, only for Ardriel to get her attention back on track. They passed one jeweler's shop with an older man sitting in front, looking both impatient and exhausted. He noticed the kaijuslayer and smiled.

"Well, well, look who rose from the depths." he said jovially.

Ardriel smiled back. "Nice to see you too, Zustin. How's business?"

At this, Zustin sighed. "Slow right now. Nobody wants to buy my wares right now. Any news of when Djonn will get back?"

Ardriel shrugged. "No clue. I'll ask Master later, if that helps."

As the two talked, Kat looked at the display. Many beautiful rings, bracelets, and necklaces were shown. One necklace caught her eye. It had a shimmering opal pendant on a silver chain. Something about it felt familiar to her...

"Excuse me, sir?" she called over to Zustin. "How much for this necklace?"

Zustin looked from his chair and smiled. "You've got a good eye there, miss. That's a Dragonscale Opal. Fished from the Star Dragon Lake with my own hands. Why, I -"

"Just tell her how much, Zustin." Ardriel cut in as he rolled his visible eye.

"Hmph, fine. The necklace is worth 200,000,000 Jewels."

Kat's eyes bugged at the price. "T-t-two hhu-huh-huhun-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, come _on_," Ardriel grunted as he grabbed the back of her jacket to pull her away from the shiny allures.

"Come back soon, kids!"

* * *

><p>He continued dragging the stiff girl out of town until they were both in front of a stone archway, leading to a large building with what looked like three large bell towers in the front. The building itself looked to be made of dark stone bricks with tall narrow windows. There was a design on the center tower that stood out: a white version of the Ardriel's guild mark.<p>

The kaijuslayer flicked Kat's ear to break her out of her shock and to get her notice to their location. She stared in awe at the building before her. Ardriel had already walked over to the tall doors to the entrance.

"Whoa..." Kat whispered.

"Are you gonna stand there gaping like a fish all day?" Ardriel glanced over at her, pushing the door open. "Master will have to speak with you."

"Ah- r-right!" she said as the followed the metal-tailed mage inside.

Kat was relatively surprised at the interior. While the outside was dark, foreboding, and intimidating, there was much color and life inside.

The entryway was at least three stories tall, given the visible balconies. Music echoes through the grand hall that many members were laughing and smiling, having all sorts of fun. Across the hall was an archway that led to an inner courtyard, where more sat around a tall lone tree with a warped trunk.

"Oh?" she heard close by, a guild member noticing their arrival. "Ardriel! Good to have you back, killer!"

"Ardriel! Did fortune find you well?"

"Oi, fish breath! You lost money on the last job I bet, eh?"

Comments both encouraging and in jest were in the air as more people took notice of the kaijuslayer's arrival. Kat simply faded into the background, or at least she tried to.

She had not taken three steps back before something heavy fell right behind her shaking the floor and causing her to nearly jump out of her skin. Looking ahead, she saw the other guild members and Ardriel looking just above her. Slowly turning around, She had to look up at the large form towering over her.

Overshadowing her was a tall bronze skinned man with no hair whatsoever wearing a skintight gray shirt, a black flame tattoo creeping up his neck from the right side and down his right arm. He wore a pair of thick black leather trousers, tied at the waist by a black sash with a red-orange design that threaded randomly in an array of patterns, and thick leather boots with wrought-iron buckles. He crouched down so he was face to face with Kat, her face reflecting in the circular lens of his silver sunglasses. Lifting his glasses showed a stern look at her, no visible irises, just near-pinprick pupils. This condemning stare made Kat feel uneasy, not much help considering she was still shaken up from this giant man's drop almost crushing her.

_'Oh man oh man oh man, this is not good!' _she panicked her mantra in her head, _'If this is the guild master, then I am so DOOMED!' _

They gazed at each other for a moment before the man gave a wide grin. He lowered his sunglasses back on his face and stood back upright and looked at the crowd gathered.

"Pay up, guys! Ardriel's brought a girl home!" he bellowed in a hearty gruff voice.

This was met with sounds of shock and astonishment. Several people tossed coin bags at the bald giant, catching them in his arms and slipping them into a larger bag. He held on to one of the heftier bags and tossed it over to a lean man with wavy tri-colored hair.

"There ya go, Boralis."

"Much obliged, Mars." the tri-dyed man said in a smooth voice.

Kat just stood stiff as all this went on. Looking to the side, she saw Ardriel with his arms folded looking away. From what she could see of his face, he was turning pink. She was about to ask him about it, but was wrapped in the arms on the bald man along with Ardriel, his forearm guards forcing her in close, the kaijuslayer already having his tails out poised to strike this giant, though he paid no mind. With her face practically in Mars' torso, she felt his shirt wasn't fabric, but a chain mail that was so finely constructed that it didn't matter.

"Let me go, Mars!" Ardriel cried irately, kicking at the man's leg, which really did nothing.

Mars merely grinned and gave a rumbling chortle. "Not a chance, kid. Master's gonna enjoy this!" as he started walking with both in arm.

_'Ok, so this guy isn't the master, which is both good and bad.'_ Kat rambled in her mind. _'Good because he's scary enough, bad because the real guild master is probably more terrifying!'_

As she finished that statement, she felt a hand grasp her leg and in one swift motion, she was out of Mars' grasp upside-down. She looked up and saw a blaring turquoise blue eye from inside the left socket of a skull; an animal skull, by the looks of it... an elk? She couldn't tell without the antlers.

He looked to be a hair shorter than Mars, and had a much leaner build. He was shirtless, showcasing a multitude of scars across his dark tanned skin, and his only other article of clothing was a pair of heavily weathered jeans with mud and grass stains acting as camouflage. He had a silver belt buckle emblazoned with the guild mark on a black background and two knives on him, one on each side and the hilt was visible for a larger knife she couldn't make out. At the sound of panting, Kat turned her head to see a few lean dogs, inspecting her.

_'Holy- when did those coyotes get here?!' _the mana mage thought. And she was broken from her thoughts again at Mars' voice.

"Cooper, come on, she's not even a member yet." he grunted, holding back the kaijuslayer as best he could, by the neck.

The now-named Cooper glanced over at Mars, only to start walking to the courtyard with Kat in hand.

"Oh boy, here comes Cooper's Initiation ritual..." a female member groaned.

"The girl better have some good magic or this will be brutal." another said.

Kat had no choice but to be carried through the archway to the open courtyard, and then was unceremoniously tossed to the lone tree's roots.

"Ghh! ...owowowow." she muttered as he nursed a bump from her fall. She glared at the masked man in irritation. "What's the big idea, huh?!"

Cooper grabbed his knives and took a crouching stance. "Come at me."

Kat looked quizzically at him. _'What's he getting at?'_

"You want to join this guild, you need to prove you have what it takes to be one of us." Cooper said, tightening the grip on his knives. "So come at me with everything you've got."

Kat looked around to see the guild's reaction. Most stood at inside, looking through the archways to the courtyard, looking expectantly. Others didn't even take notice. And Ardriel was wrestling himself out of Mars' grasp, his tails jabbing at the giant's body, only to be blocked effortlessly. Looking back at the skull-masked opponent, she saw his hands tensing around his wrists, but were relaxed to show he wasn't anxious.

_'Well, that helps to know he isn't doing to me exclusively.'_ she relaxed a bit at the thought. She steadied herself on her legs. Focusing her mind, she formed a pair of sai, surprising the audience.

"Ohhh! A Requip mage!"

"Never saw weapons made like that."

"This will be a good show after all! Go, new girl!"

"C'mon, Cooper, show her how we roll!"

"Let's do it, kid! You can take ol' Caz!"

The cheers from the crowd lifted her spirits even higher, strengthening her resolve, reminding her of the motivation given to her in her past. _'I CAN do this. They're different, but they feel similar.'_ she thought as she made the first move towards Cooper. She quickly closed the distance and leaped at him, forming the sai he had yet to use into a short sword and thrust forward. But Cooper did something with his knives that Kat didn't expect.

He slashed his _own_ torso. His red lifeblood bursting out and forming a shield.

Wait, what?

In her instant shock of the Cooper's actions, she failed to notice that none of his blood dripped down his chest. Instead, it collected to form a barrier large enough to block her attack. In the midst of her attack, she had no chance to back away, so as soon as her sword grazed off the blood shield, she hit it dead-on with her head. The shield bashing her backwards onto the ground.

Kat dazedly glared at the masked mage as she was getting up, and saw that the blood he used as a shield was seeping back into his body from his wound. Not a single drop was left as the wound closed. "The heck?"

"Surprised, girl? You have an interesting skill, but I doubt you can handle it well." Cooper remarked, causing a vein to pulse at Kat's temple. "You sill have a lot to prove before I see you worthy. You're facing against Minstrel's top bounty hunter, Chasseur 'El Cazador' Cooper!" He gripped his knives and held them at his forearms. "Now demonstrate to me that you can be in this guild!"

In a quick motion, he sliced both his forearms and smoothly set the knives in their holsters as the wounds bled profusely, but the blood quickly formed into two double-bladed axes that he grabbed and held in the same manner as his knives.

_'Yikes! This guy isn't fooling around!' _Kat panicked in her mind. _'Okay, focus, Katerine. He can form weapons from his blood, so you can't use cutting weapons... crud.'_ Her arsenal of hitting weapons was small, and not as satisfying as cutting down her opponents literally. _'Dang it. I'll have to make due with a staff here... oh wait! I do have another tactic...'_

Once more, she focused her magic into a weapon, something akin to a club.

Ardriel saw the weapon, even when wrestling Mars, and twinged at the phantom pain from the pulsing lump on his head.

Kat charged at Cooper again, club at the ready. Cooper smiled like a beast.

"You're not learning yet, kid! Bloody Ax-AAAH!" Cooper was cut off and something slammed into his back, losing the concentration for his axes' form. Looking behind him, he saw a goat formed from the same purple magic as Kat's weapons. Looking forward, the girl was about to swing.

"Take this! Co-Mana -"

Cooper smiled more pleasantly now. "Heh, not bad, kid. COAL! E'TIN!"

"SLA-eh?"

Two large blurs flew to the masked mage, the dark gray one swiftly grabbing Kat's club, and the larger brown one pounced at the goat, knocking it away. And again, Kat was defenseless as she got in close. This time, she bounced on the ball of her feet to the side, her back to the tree.

Cooper took the offensive this time, forming a bloody gauntlet and rushing towards her. Timing it just right, Kat unleashed a high kick to Cooper's jaw forcing his head and body back. Still on the momentum from the kick, she did a half-backflip onto the tree trunk and sprung forward at Cooper, passing over him and landing with a roll.

Cooper turned his head to look at the girl, his turquoise eye glaring at her. "Ok, kid, you've got my interest, but this battle is far from over."

"Actually, it is."

The voice came from the edge of the courtyard, a young woman a few years older than Kat. She had black wavy hair that went just past her shoulders, contrasting her olive skin. She wore a bright maroon set of robes, lined in a soft dark yellow. In her hand she carried a magic staff with a black crystal embedded into it. Her honey-colored eyes were half-lidded in an expression of sly knowing.

"Master, what do you mean?" Cooper asked.

The Master merely pointed to Cooper's head and then to Kat. Cooper turned to the new girl. Kat merely smiled and showed what she had grabbed from him.

Cooper's eyes bulged as he realized what made him lose.

The girl had somehow gotten his mask off.

Many members stared at Cooper in surprise.

"Wow!"

"Holy-"

"Never thought I'd see Cooper's face."

"I'm kinda surprised he HAS a face."

He looked similar to Mars, though Cooper had darker eyebrows. His right iris was a crimson red, a stark contrast to his left, accompanied by a blotchy scar. His nose was more pointed, yet had a flat bridge down to the tip, and his chin and jawline were more narrow.

Cooper laid a glower a Kat, but soon relented with a chuckle.

"Well played, kid." He said, as he recalled the blood from the grass, having it return into his body. "You might have what it takes to be here after all."

Kat smirked as she waved about the mask, only for a lighter brown coyote to snatch it up. This coyote looked much older than the others, with thinning fur and dull eyes. This older wild dog calmly walked over to Cooper and laid the skull in his palm.

Cooper patted the coyote's head in gratitude. "Thanks, Cody, my old friend."

Cody gave a small look to Cooper before picking the mask back up and walking over to the Master, making her giggle and several other members laugh.

"Caz, don't you remember that Cody's sensitive about his age?" she teased.

Cooper felt a bead of sweat in embarrassment as more members laughed, but he stood firm as he walked over to Cody. Kat saw the reddish-copper colored guild mark on the back of his neck as he passed.

As Cooper crouched down to the old coyote, she felt two nudges to her side. Looking over, she saw a lean dark gray coyote and a hefty darker brown coyote, both wagging their tails and panting expectantly.

"Uh..." Kat was at a loss at what to do and both started to whine.

"Coal wants one of your weapons to use as his new chew toy, and E'tin is hoping you have a treat for him." she heard next to her.

"Eh?" looking to her other side, she saw a girl a couple inches shorter than her. She had short black hair and deep blue eyes fixed in a unamused expression. She wore a dark top with a red vest that went to mid-thigh and tight jeans with thigh-high boots. She had her arms folded across her torso showing her gold guild mark on her right arm and her unique silver bracelets with crimson gems in them. "Um... well, I don't really -"

The shorter girl clicked her tongue against her teeth as she waved her arm as a translucent red hexagon appeared. Letters appeared forming the word [STORAGE]. After a few hand gestures to the hexagon, two large bones popped into existence. Coal and E'tin each grabbed one and started gnawing on them.

"Ah... thank you -" Kat tried to say, but the girl was walking away. Kat stood there awkwardly.

"Don't worry too much. Cooper's coyotes are all softies once you get to know them." a voice said from behind, startling her. She saw it was the Master, with a pleasant smile on her face. "Oh, and Amora's the same."

_'So this is the guild master...'_ Kat thought. She felt at ease with her, and made her feel welcome. She held out her hand to her and said, "Nice to meet you, ma'am, my name is -"

"Katerine Dream, I know who you are." the master stated. "And I am Maria Uisend, please don't call me ma'am, I'm only nineteen years old."

"..." Kat stood stiff, shocked and a little afraid. _'How the heck does she know who I am? Did Ardriel tell her? Oh shoot what ELSE did he say?! Wait, she said she was NINETEEN?! How is she a guild master at her age?!'_

Maria chuckled, "Don't wory, don't worry. No one told me about you, my magic did."

Even as she relaxed, Kat became curious. "Your... magic told you?"

Maria nodded. "Every member of this guild has a magic that is very different from the rest of the world. In Minstrel, this is very bad because we are hated or feared. As is human nature.

"This guild is a safe haven for those like us that are different, because in that difference, we can find something within each other that makes us stronger. My magic is Prophecy, the ability to read the future, so I knew you would come and what would happen."

Kat nodded at her explanation, as Maria continued.

"Katerine Dream, you have faced much in your life, and I am not the one to divulge or question it, but you must know that your past is a shared one many here relate with." At this, she brought a hand to her right collarbone and her face became solemn. After several moments, she placed her hand on Kat's shoulder. "Would you like to join this ragtag group of outcasts?"

Kat felt something that she couldn't understand, but these people... if they were like her, they could help her with her dreams.

"I'm happy to accept, but please call me Kat. I'm only sixteen, you know." she said, imitation the master's introduction.

In the background, she heard the garbled outcry of "Oh come on!" from inside.

Maria smiled, ignoring the outburst. "Very well, Kat Dream. Welcome to Otaku Tyrant. May your passion lead you to your destiny!"

And the entire guild cheered at the news. And a party was quickly in full swing.

That warm feeling flowed from Kat's stomach as she was pulled into the swing of things, expressing an emotion that she hadn't felt in a while...

Acceptance.

* * *

><p><strong>Gawwwwd this took to long, and I'm disappointed I couldn't add more to it and post it sooner, but life takes priority, unfortunately.<strong>

**Anyway, What should Kat's first mission as a member of the guild should be?**

**Do you have a character that could be a member?**

**Review or PM me and we'll see what makes the cut!**

**Until next time! which will hopefully be sooner!**


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